Essence for glowing skin: what to choose and how to use it

What is an essence actually doing?

Some products called essences overlap with toners, so the bottle's title is not a job description. These watery products can add hydration; formulas with exfoliating ingredients can also smooth texture. Decide whether you want moisture, help with dullness, or both before choosing a bottle.1

Which ingredients should you look for?

• For hydration, look for glycerin or hyaluronic acid.
• For dullness, consider niacinamide or alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids. Exfoliating acids help unclog pores and smooth texture.
• For sensitive skin, avoid heavily fragranced formulas and products with lots of dyes.
• For mature skin, hydrating ingredients and antioxidants such as vitamin C or ferulic acid are options.

Are fermented essences worth considering?

Galactomyces ferment filtrate is one ingredient with human research behind a skincare routine containing an essence. In 86 Japanese women, a routine combining SK II Facial Treatment Essence, Cellumination Essence and Skin Signature Cream improved hydration, reduced water loss through the skin, and improved wrinkles, pigmented spots and roughness over 12 months. All three products contained the ferment and were used twice daily. The results belong to that combined routine, not to the essence alone.2

Measurements were taken at two, eight and twelve months, with improvements accumulating during treatment. Everyone used the three products; there was no separate untreated group during that period. That makes a fermented essence a reasonable option to consider, rather than a reason to expect any bottle bearing the word "ferment" to deliver the same changes.2

How do you fit an essence into your routine?

1. 1Wash with a gentle cleanser and gently pat dry. Use warm water and your fingertips rather than scrubbing.
2. 2Apply prescribed skin medication or treatment after cleansing. Keep those directions ahead of a cosmetic layering rule.
3. 3Apply the essence before moisturizer. For a toner style formula, gently swipe or spray it on without rinsing.
4. 4Apply moisturizer, followed by sunscreen before going outdoors. Choose broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
5. 5Apply makeup afterward, if you use it.

A toner style essence can be used once or twice daily, in the morning or evening. Start every other day if it contains strong acids or potentially irritating actives. These are general directions for that type of formula; use the bottle's directions for your particular essence.1

Does an essence replace moisturizer?

Adding water and keeping water in the skin are different jobs. Humectants attract and retain water in the outer skin layer. Emollients soften and smooth that layer, while occlusive ingredients form a protective surface barrier that reduces evaporation. Moisturizer still has a job here, despite being the least mysterious word on the shelf.5

Choose the accompanying moisturizer to match your dryness. Creams are lighter than ointments and suitable for broad application; lotions can suit mild dryness. Very dry skin can benefit from a more occlusive product. Heavy occlusive products can aggravate acne, so more richness is not automatically the better choice. Moisturizers can also disguise fine lines by addressing dryness.5

How long does a glow take?

For toner style formulas, visible effects generally take six weeks to three months and can be subtle. Formulas targeting pigmentation can take about two to three months. Judge hydration, texture and uneven color separately rather than expecting every change at once.1

When should you stop or get advice?

Using several products, especially multiple products targeting skin aging, can irritate skin and make signs of aging more noticeable. If your routine is already causing irritation, do not add an essence as another treatment. Ask a dermatologist about persistent irritation or concerns about combining skincare with prescriptions.3

Acidic moisturizing preparations can sting scratched or cracked skin. Stop a moisturizing product if a rash consistent with contact dermatitis develops, and seek assessment rather than trying to diagnose the cause yourself. Suspected reactions to fragrance or preservatives can be investigated with medical patch testing.5